After decades of being overlooked by the fashion industry, Gen X finally has a brand that gets it. Enter REGALO Studios—an unapologetically contemporary Canadian label designed by a Gen Xer, for Gen Xers. Founded by Caroline Mangosing, REGALO is rewriting the style rules for a generation redefining its identity, ambitions, and wardrobe. We sat down with Caroline to chat about building a brand from lived experience, dressing the in-between years, and why fashion should never stop evolving—no matter your age. —Noa Nichol
What inspired you to launch REGALO Studios—and why now, at this specific moment in your life and career?
We decided to create REGALO Studios because for me and my business partner, and the company, it was the right time. I had started VINTA Gallery (my first brand) in R&D in 2009, and that continues to this day. I meant VINTA Gallery to be a place to share my inspiration from my culture… to everyone, not just Filipinos. I was met with hesitation from non-Filipinos, fearing being culturally appropriative. It’s a precarious and nuanced place, this cultural appropriation stuff. I understand that hesitation, especially out in the internet streets. We created REGALO Studios as an answer to that, ultimately. As a creative, this venture is so exciting because it expands my access to inspiration outside of the Filipino traditional clothing canon. So it’s a win for me as a creative, and for the people who have been fans of my work, but haven’t been able to buy in.
As a Gen X woman yourself, what gaps did you see in the fashion industry that you felt uniquely positioned to address?
Oh my gosh, what gaps didn’t I see? People already know us as the generation they love to forget. We generally do not fit the same mold as the boomers. So full stop there. When I was doing research this was a major thing, women over 40 have this general sense that no fashion brand is catering to them. I certainly felt that way, and I work in this industry. There’s your token older model on runways and campaigns, but there is not a real intentionality in approach in terms of design. I mean do a simple ‘40+ fashion’ search in Pinterest and what you will get is either very mature ladies who look plucked straight out of the American midwest giving you fashion advice with Walmart clothing, or it’s hyper glam Carmen Dell’orefice images. There’s not much in between. Many women of my generation are not as skinny as Grece Ghanem, let’s be real.
And my generation of women have lived through the best eras of fashion! We had music genre coded dressing…which was the best! I mean fashion now is so much just a recycling of 70s, 80s and 90s looks no? So I feel like, for those of us who have lived through these eras, what is being offered to us out there now is so not it. Gone are the days where you can be sucking in your stomach all night and dancing in heels. I am so ok with that. Because you know what, yes, in the last few years, I was perimenopausal, and now menopausal– and the amount of my fave pieces that I’ve had to say goodbye to is sad. So yes, what I put on my body is very important because of what comes with this time of transition. Clothes need to not only look good..on, but it also needs to feel good. And I know for sure that I am not the only woman who wants this.
All that to say, I think I am uniquely positioned to address these gaps because I understand the story of my generation intimately.
The name REGALO means “gift” in several languages. What does that symbolism mean to you and how is it reflected in the brand’s ethos?
I think that the symbol of the gift operates on several levels. REGALO also means gift in Tagalog, which is the Filipino language I speak. And the cultures of that land where I am from is an important filter of my creative expression. It is not the only filter, but an important one.
And my favorite retail experience is an art gallery gift shop, especially when it is thoughtfully curated and allows you to take home the experience of the show / exhibit that you just saw. VINTA Gallery, as a brand, is definitely inspired by that idea. REGALO studios is the gift shop for the art exhibit of Gen X women’s lives lived, and living.
How do you define ‘unapologetic contemporary design,’ and what does that look like for a Gen X or Xennial audience?
It means that we don’t play by rules in a sense.
How many times do we hear the phrase, “age appropriate dressing,” specifically in the context of women of this age right? I heard it as a child from my elders throughout my life. It is ingrained. It is still about controlling women’s bodies at the end of the day, and many of us have internalized it, and I want to come out the gate saying, let’s unpack that. We have a mini skirt in this debut collection that’s pretty short. It’s the exact same length I wore when I was 17 years old. The basic idea of saying “who tf cares if it’s the same length of skirt a 17 year old would wear” is already a revolutionary stance for women of a “certain age”. It sounds ridiculous because it’s a subtext that we women of “a certain age” have to live with, and no one talks about it enough.
So for our target audience of Gen X and Xennial what we are offering is not “age appropriate” but rather, fashion that fulfills our needs and wants, i.e. dope, modular designs, pockets!, comfort-forward, flattering silhouettes, (as much as possible) natural fiber content fabrics, with maybe elastic waist bands.
Can you walk us through some of the standout pieces in your debut collection—and the stories or inspirations behind them?
My personal favourite is our silk a-line dress (coming in Capsule 1.4 slated for August). It’s really the best example of how simple thoughtful design can have high impact. I wanted something sexy but comfortable. Adjustable spaghetti straps, a sheer deep-v panel at the neckline, and sheer triangle panel on either side all the way up to the waist, in theory sound so risque. But when it’s on, it feels modest and so comfortable because it’s not skin tight. Covered, but not.
And the stand out is our hand loomed pieces that are atelier made. We have quite a few pieces in this handloomed collection within the larger collection (coat will come in Capsule 1.5 in August). My favourite is the Handloomed Binakol Overcoat. Binakol (binakael, binakul, binakel), is a traditional blanket weave design of the Itneg people from Abra in the Cordillera Region of Northern Luzon, Philippines. Mathematically precise, interlocked geometric patterns that result in psychedelic optical illusion (called Kusikus or whirlpool), intentionally done to confuse and distract the evil spirits, thus protecting the sleeping souls.
In essence, these garments are protective, which I love. Plus the cocoon cut of this coat is chefs kiss! Comfortable, functional, simple.
I also want to mention our delectable little Mini Puso Pouchette, which is our mini purse. Made of genuine leather, we designed the pouchette in collaboration with (and handcrafted by artisans at) R2R.PH. This little pouchette is modular and can be used with a wristlet strap, or a cross body strap, and it can be the octahedral diamond shape, but if you unzip it, and snap the gusset closed, it functions as a flat conventional purse shape.
This pouchette is named “pusô,” literally meaning ‘heart’ in a couple of different languages in the Philippines. Inspired by pusô, a rice cake also known as “hanging rice,” made by boiling rice in a woven pouch of palm leaves. It is most commonly found in octahedral or diamond, but can also come in various other intricately woven complex forms. Pusô is traditionally prepared as a way to pack rice for journeys and is eaten held in the hands, usually paired with meat or seafood grilled on skewers.
Later Capsule drops will include different colours of the pouchette, as well as a medium and large size version.
You’ve chosen to work with natural and artisanal fabrics. Why was sustainability and craftsmanship so central to your design process?
This industry is one of the most exploitative in the world right? It’s something I was conscious of even when starting my first brand, VINTA Gallery. I wanted the why and how is central to our approach. So I look at the craft of garment making, while also supporting the revitalization of weaving traditions in the Philippines. As a small business, we try to do what we can to be thoughtful of these things, and hand in hand with the sustainability of the business itself. It’s an incredibly challenging balance especially when we are also dealing in very low volumes in our production (we make between 50-100 pieces of each design, max).
Your price points reflect an investment in quality. How do you want women to feel when they wear REGALO—both physically and emotionally? Fashion often forgets Gen X in favour of Millennial and Gen Z audiences. What are some of the unique needs, desires, or style cues that you think Gen X women are looking for?
Again, it’s all about the craft and quality. I am a thrifter, and I love the garments made between the 80s-90s not just out of nostalgia, but really because the quality was better. The fabrics were better. I have pieces that I bought 30 years ago, that were already 20 years old, and it’s still in heavy rotation for me. These are the kinds of pieces we make.
Yes, fashion forgets the women at the height of their power. Isn’t it telling? REGALO is the answer to that. We want to look current and stylish, but we want to be comfortable; we want workhorse pieces that are versatile and made of nice fabrics, we want well-made clothes that fit well, we want pockets (!), AND we want to look hot but we want to be able to breathe!
We want our customer/audience to feel seen!
What challenges did you face in launching a brand that bucks conventional fashion marketing and speaks to a more nuanced, evolving woman?
Can I tell you that it was so hard to find models of this age range? They are not represented, because there is no demand. We found one agency, shout out to Thesis Agency!
Even in our initial market research and brand development – it was so difficult to find even fashion images of women in this age range!
What’s next for REGALO Studios—are there future capsule drops, retail partnerships, or community initiatives in the works?
Yes absolutely! We have five or six more capsule drops until the end of the year. We are working on partnerships and collabs, of which I can’t speak about yet ;). We are planning IRL pop-ups across Canada this year, announcements will be made on our website and newsletter and socials. And since we have our own atelier, we will be offering custom-made/made-to-measure, and couture designs, perhaps as soon as the fall of this year. Super exciting stuff!
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